Bumblefoot Causes, Prevention, and Treatment in Birds

How Can I Take Care of a Foot Infection on a Baby Bird?

"My little mynah bird, about 20 days old, has been suffering from inflammation in his foot. When he walks, he limps because of the pain, and when he stands, he stands on one foot and raises the foot that hurts him. Please advise on treatment. I am worried about him." —Sajjad

Bumblefoot (Pododermatitis)

This condition is called bumblefoot, or pododermatitis. It is uncommon in a bird that young unless there was an injury in the cage that led to the development of the bumblefoot. If there was no injury, it may be related to his diet, the flooring of the cage, or his perches.

Causes of Bumblefoot

The only way to tell for sure is to look at the foot and see if there are any punctures. If nothing is found, it may have a similar cause to that seen in parrots, where diet is often the problem. (Mynahs that are on a varied diet will not usually have foot issues secondary to diet.) Bumblefoot is often related to:

• low calcium levels
• low vitamin A levels (if your bird is mainly eating seeds, he is more likely to develop this problem, and you may also see poor growth. (1))
• biotin deficiency
• vitamin D3 deficiency
• high-fat/low-vitamin diet (usually this happens when a bird selectively picks their favorite seeds out of the diet)

How to Treat Bumblefoot

Bumblefoot can be very simple to treat early or when in a young bird, or it can be very complicated if it is an older bird or a bird that has been sick for a long time. In one report, the average time that an adult bird had bumblefoot, even with good treatment, was 52 days. (2)

To treat a young bird with bumblefoot you can try:

• Topical Therapy: This is going to be the most important thing you can do to clear up a minor case. Betadine (povodone iodine) can be dripped right to any wound you find and will kill the bacteria that are causing the wound. It is toxic but woud require large amounts to hurt a bird and is only toxic if your pet consumes a lot. (4) If there is no appearant wound you can treat the entire foot with this solution by soaking it for about 10 minutes.
• Aloe Vera:If you do not want to use Betadine some avian veterinarians will recommend the use of aloe vera get before oral antibiotics. The gel is applied to the wounded area after cleaning the wound twice or three times a day.

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Bumblefoot can be treated medically (topical therapy with oral antibiotics) or surgically, but since it can be so resistant, people have also tried alternative therapies like acupuncture and lasers. (3) If you follow the recommendations listed above and the preventative measures listed below, it should clear up in a few weeks.

How to Prevent Foot Injuries in Birds

• Clean the Perch: Make sure there are no thorns or sharp edges on the perch if natural.
• Provide a Varied Perch: If you have a commercial perch, like a wooden dowel rod, replace it with a perch from a branch that allows your bird to have thinner and thicker alternatives.
• Cover Part of the Perch in Sandpaper: One of the branches should have a sandpaper covering. These coverings allow a bird to roughen the bottom of the feet, but only one perch should be covered in this way so your pet can go to a smooth branch when he wants.
• Keep the Perch Clean: Old fecal material on the perch is loaded with bacteria, and if your bird is forced to sit there, they will eventually develop an infected bumblefoot. Do not use any chemicals to sterilize the wood, as clean water will remove fecal matter easily if wiped down every day. If it is already dry, sandpaper the wood to remove the fecal material.
• Improve Floor Quality: If your bird spends most of his time sitting in the nest, you can provide softer flooring. I use cardboard instead of carpet since I can change it every day. You can also use a wooden platform if your bird prefers this to a perch or sitting in the nest.
• Change and Improve the Diet: Make sure that your bird is eating several different types of food, not just seeds. Make sure that you read up on Mynah feeding habits and provide as many types on natural foods as possible.

When to Take Your Bird to the Vet

Since this is not definitely bumblefoot, if it does not respond to the simple therapy, you will need to find an avian veterinarian in your area and have your bird's feet examined. If this is a fungal infection, a parasite, ants that have bitten and caused wounds to the feet, or trauma, it will not get better with topical therapy and may need to be surgically cleaned up; your bird may need antibiotics after this.

Sources

(1) Peng S, Broom DM. The Sustainability of Keeping Birds as Pets: Should Any Be Kept? Animals (Basel). 2021 Feb 23;11(2):582. doi: 10.3390/ani11020582. PMID: 33672378; PMCID: PMC7927005. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7927005/

(2) Rodriguez-Lainz AJ, Hird DW, Kass PH, Brooks DL. Incidence and risk factors for bumblefoot (pododermatitis) in rehabilitated raptors. Prev Vet Med. 1997 Aug;31(3-4):175-84. doi: 10.1016/s0167-5877(96)01137-3. PMID: 9234441. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9234441/

(3) Blair J. Bumblefoot: a comparison of clinical presentation and treatment of pododermatitis in rabbits, rodents, and birds. Vet Clin North Am Exot Anim Pract. 2013 Sep;16(3):715-35. doi: 10.1016/j.cvex.2013.05.002. Epub 2013 Jul 29. PMID: 24018034. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24018034/

(4) Sani D, Abdu PA, Mamman M, et al. Research Note: Evaluation of acute oral toxicity of povidone-iodine in cockerels using the up-and-down procedure. Poultry Science. 2021 Feb;100(2):631-634. DOI: 10.1016/j.psj.2020.11.002. PMID: 33518116; PMCID: PMC7858085. https://europepmc.org/article/med/33518116

This article is not meant to substitute for diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, prescription, or formal and individualized advice from your veterinarian. Animals exhibiting signs and symptoms of distress should be seen by a veterinarian immediately.

© 2023 Mark dos Anjos, DVM